Royal Australian Navy takes first Arafura OPV for testing

The Australian Department of Defence has accepted the first Arafura-class Offshore Patrol Vessel, NUSHIP Arafura, for testing and evaluation ahead of delivery to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

NUSHIP Arafura is the first of class vessel delivered under project SEA 1180, built by Luerssen Australia at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia.

The project will eventually deliver six Arafura-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) to the RAN, at an estimated unit cost of US$200 million apiece.

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The OPVs were originally contracted to Luerssen in 2018, to replace Australia's current Armidale-class and Cape-class patrol boats, but significant delay and the Covid pandemic led to the class being reduced from an initial 12 vessels to just six in 2024.

The revised delivery timeline for the first of class Arafura vessel was also 2024, so the delivery to the RAN for actual service has fallen behind schedule again.

Nevertheless, Australia’s Deputy Secretary for Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Jim McDowell said the delivery of the first Arafura-class vessel was an important milestone in the government’s investment in naval shipbuilding.

“The delivery of the first of class vessel highlights the Department of Defence’s commitment to working through complex projects to deliver critical capability to our Australian Defence Force,” McDowell added.

Based on the OPV 80 design, the OPVs will be used for constabulary missions, maritime patrol and response duties.

NUSHIP Arafura will now sail to its homeport at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, before being commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy fleet later this year.

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